Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · June 20, 2025 · Entertainment

Behind the Scenes: Danny Boyle's 'Nightmare' of Naked Zombie Filming

Director Danny Boyle has admitted that it was a 'nightmare' filming naked zombies for the highly acclaimed movie 28 Years Later (pictured at the movie's World premiere this month)

BOYLE'S NIGHTMARE: DIRECTOR OPENS UP ABOUT FILMING NAKED ZOMBIES IN 28 YEARS LATER

It's been a long-awaited moment for fans of the 28 Days Later franchise, and finally, Danny Boyle has spilled the beans on what went down behind the scenes of the latest installment, 28 Years Later. And let me tell you, it was a real challenge!

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the 68-year-old director revealed that filming naked zombie scenes for the horror movie was a total nightmare due to one major issue: child star Alfie Williams.

The moviemaker, 68, recently stepped back into the director's chair to helm the 'terrifying' horror, written by Alex Garland, 23 years after the pair's first film, 28 Days Later, hit cinemas

"We had some strict rules in place to protect Alfie, and we never knew about them when we started filming," Boyle confessed. "It was like, 'Oh my God, we can't have any nudity on set!' So, we had to get creative with prosthetics."

And by creative, we mean prosthetic genitals for all the naked zombies! Yeah, you read that right. To ensure they were complying with the rules, the production team came up with a genius solution.

"Interestingly, because there was a 12-year-old boy on set, you're not allowed for anybody to be naked, not really naked, so they look naked, but it's all prosthetics," Boyle explained.

And now, Danny has revealed they needed to take extra care not to have 'naked' actors on the set because they had strict rules in place to protect the film's child star, Alfie Williams (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams pictured in the new movie)

But that wasn't the only hurdle they faced. The director also opened up about the challenges of pushing boundaries with elements of nudity and gore in the film.

"I think one of the wonderful things about horror is that you're expected to maximize the impact of your story," he said. "Everybody wants to do that with a drama, with a romance, whatever. But with horror, it's obviously gonna be brutal, some of it."

And boy, did they ever deliver! The film has received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, with many praising its unique blend of post-apocalyptic survivalism and medieval world-building.

He continued: 'We never knew that [about rules governing nudity on set when there's a child present] going in, it was a nightmare'

But what really sets 28 Years Later apart is its stunning visuals. Boyle's visual flair, combined with Alex Garland's ambitious screenplay, has resulted in a movie that's both beautiful and brutal.

"It glows with my visual flair, Garland's screenplay, and a towering performance from Ralph Fiennes," the director said.

And it looks like audiences are eating it up! 28 Years Later has become the best horror ticket pre-seller of 2025, with the film expected to gross around $30 million in its first weekend.

The new zombie horror movie has received a heap of positive reviews from critics following early screenings (Alfie, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes are pictured in the movie)

So, what do you think? Are you ready to dive into the world of 28 Years Later? Let us know in the comments!

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